Looking for the escape hatch

Cameron McGavin
September 16, 2011

Trevor is downsizing to a small hatch but doesn't want to lose too much long-distance comfort.

The dilemma: Trevor wants to downsize from his six-cylinder sedan into a small hatch. He likes Mazda’s 3 and Volkswagen’s Golf and wants one that offers some gear without going as far as a sports variant.

He needs an automatic transmission but isn’t sure whether petrol or diesel will be best. He plans to do some road trips in the future, so a roomy, comfortable cabin is a big a priority.

The budget: Not provided

The shortlist:

We can’t fault Trevor’s logic in choosing the 3 and Golf. Both are pretty much the duck’s guts of the small-car segment, albeit for different reasons that we’ll explore later.

There have, however, been a couple of recent entries to the small-car market that could potentially threaten the Mazda and VW’s superiority.

One is Hyundai’s new Elantra which, based on initial impressions, seems well worth a look, all the more so if you’re seeking great value and easy ownership prospects.

Here, though, with killer value not essential and long-distance duties on the agenda, it’s hard to go past Ford’s new third-generation Focus, which has a talent-set well suited to Trevor’s needs.

Ford Focus, from $21,990

The Focus has never quite hit the spot in Australia but the new model has assets that could turn things around, starting with its classier looks, and improved cabin ambience.

One sour point is the underwhelming base 1.6-litre petrol model, but that’s not an issue with Trevor looking further up the range. 2.0-litre petrols are better but for long-distance duties the relaxed, refined and thrifty TDCi diesels would be our pick.

Whichever Focus you buy you can count on great handling, a quiet, supple ride and strong safety, while the cabin is spacious and comfortable. Go for a topline Titanium and you also get loads of upmarket toys.

We’re obviously overlooking base models here but with the 3 we’ll have to avoid the diesel as well as it can’t be had with an automatic transmission.

That pretty much leaves us with the mid-range Maxx Sport and SP25 to consider. Despite its ostensibly sporting character don’t count out the latter; it’s mild rather than wild (that’s the job of the turbo MPS) and its bigger 2.5-litre petrol engine brings welcome extra shove and refinement on the open road.

No 3, however, is as quiet or comfortable as a Golf (or, we suspect, the Focus). Otherwise, with their beautifully balanced ride and handling, competitive space, strong safety, great value and Euro-beating reliability prospects, they’re in the fight.

If Trevor wants to cut size without losing refinement and that upmarket feeling, he’s going to love the Golf.

It’s a supremely classy package, with a comfortable, high-quality cabin and the on-road nous and refinement to shame more expensive machinery. It’s safe and the petrol and diesel drivelines set the standards for sophistication, performance and economy.

Here, we’d recommend the mid-range 118 TSI petrol as it’s a ripper with almost diesel-matching economy, but the 103 TDI diesel has attractions (like superior low-rev go and a more effortless feel) that could swing the deal. Neither, though, represents amazing value and all Golfs are costlier to service than most common small cars.

The 3 is a great small car but here – with long-distance matters to consider – its mediocre refinement and the diesel’s manual-only status push it down to the final step of the podium.

Making a call between the Ford and VW is a harder job seeing as we’re yet to put them together on the same road, back-to-back.

At this stage, however, we’d feel more than comfortable recommending any Golf because they’re just so well-rounded, whatever the specification, petrol or diesel.

The Ford, from this distance at least, loses points with less than spectacular petrol engines to finish second. But if Trevor drove a Titanium TDCi and reckoned it was just right, we wouldn’t be inclined to argue.